Car coupler



De c. 25, 1934. H. A, MACONAGHIE CAR COUPLER 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed March 15, 1954 Dec. 25, 1934.

A. MACONAGHIE CAR COUPLER Filed March 15, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Dec. 25, 1934 I U ITED- STATES; PATENT OFFICE 1,985,379 f l f v I osn GOUPLE-R I Hugh it Macohaghie, Herrin, Ill. i

Application March- 15, 1934, Serial No. 715,747 1 1 '1 'ZClaimsQt (oi; zit- 18%);

This invention relates*tdimprovmeritSiii car couplers and pertains particularly "toa coupler which is designed particularly ioruse upon mine .cars.

The primary" object of the present-invention; is

to provide a car'coupling of an improved char acter which maybe so easily and quickly manipulated for coupling and uncouplingcarsthat the time consumed for this'operation'may be greatly decreased from the timerequired at present, thus making it possible to generally increase the-production speed of mines-where the couplers' are used. r a

Another object of the invention is tc'provide an improved coupler having a novel type ofhead and link unit in whichthe'link will automatical ly connect itself with the head when the two units are'brought together: 7 I j Other objects and advantages 'ofthe" invention will become apparent as the description of the same proceeds and the invention will be bestun derstood' from a consideration of" the following detailed description taken in-connection'with the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, with the understanding,-'however; that the invention is not confined to any strict can; for'mity with the showing of the drawings but may be changed or modified so long as-such changes or modifications markno' material departure from the salient features of the invena tion as expressed in the appended claims.

In the drawing'-s:- v Figure 1 is a View partly in longitudinal section and partly in elevation-of a complete coupler constructed in accordance with thep'resent invention Figure 2 is a secticna-lview taken substantially upon the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a view in front elevation of the head a while the link unit is indicated as a whole by the numeral 2.

The head unit comprises a body portion 3 which is preferably in the form of a substantially rectangular block from the rear side of which projects the spring encircled stem 4 while the front wall 5 of the block has its upper edge undercut to form the inwardly inclined face 6, and from the bottom edge .the front wall curves upward and inward to form the cam surface 7 'o'n which an element of the link unit rides when'the units *5 aremcved into connected relation. 7

Thecentra-l' part of the front of the head 3 is cut inwardly toprovide the mouth 8 which leads into the chamb'er 9; the upwardly and inwardly I curving surface '7 leading directly into the mouth 10* as illustrated in Figure 1. The bottomfo'f' the mouth is formed to provide the fiat surface 10 and at the rear-of this flat'surface there is formed the downwardly extending passagenll' which H opensfthrough the bottom of the head body, Directly abovethis passage ll'is an upwardly opening passage 1 2 which is of greater cross sectional dimensions than the passage 11 and this leads-"through the shoulder 13' which is formed upon'theto ofthehead. ,1 v f I:

Recip'rocably mounted "n the upper vertical passage 12 of the head is the heavy couplingpin '14, the lower ehd'of which is fiat to rest upon the bottom wall .10 of the mouth and inaddition'there is formed integrally with the lower end of this pin, the longitudinally extending finger 15 which positions inthe passage 11; This. finger 151esist's any tendency of the lower end ofthe pin 14 to swing, particularly if the lower part'ofthe passage 12 becomes enlarged through wear.* 1

The front face of'the pin llis arcuate longitudina-lly of thepin as indicated at 16, the curve of this arcuate face starting at the bottom' of the pin and merging into the straight frontface of the upper portion thereof. The curved faces 7 and'ld'thus-come together to form a Vin which the'sides are bowed inwardly as is clearly shown in-Figure 1-. 4 I

The pin 14 has formed therethrough a longitudinally extending slot 17 and extending transversely of the passage 12 and suspended at its ends in the opposite walls of the boss 13 is a movement limiting pin 18 which extends through the slot 17 and thus prevents the complete withdrawal of the coupling pin 14. v

The upper end of the coupling pin is provided with a collar 19 which rests upon the boss 13 when the coupling pin is in operative position and there is also connected with the upper end of the coupling pinthe ring 20 by which a securing chain may be attached thereto. v

The link unit 2 comprises a hanger yoke 21 which is secured by means of the cross plate 22 to a suitable supporting unit of the car and extending through this yoke is a draw bar 23 which is limited in its longitudinal movement in both directions by the front and rear springs indicated respectively by the numerals 24 and 25. The front end of the draw bar 23 is transversely slotted as indicated at 26 and in this slot is located the apertured tongue 27 which forms an integral part with the body 28. This body has parallel flat sides 29 which are normally vertically disposed and is transvesely apertured to receive a pivot pin 30. i

At its rear the body 28 has the laterally extending wings 31, the forward faces of which are divided into the two surfaces 32 and 33 which are disposed at an oblique angle and each of which is inclined rearwardly toward the end of the unit carrying the tongue 2'7. 4

The tongue 27 is pivotally attached to thebar 23 by means of the pin 34 andi'atltheforward end of the body 28 the pin 30 extends, through. and pivotally connects with the body the en larged apertured rear ends 35 of a substantially U-shaped connecting unit 36, the yoke portion 3'7 of which is apertured to receive the headed pin 38 which forms an integral part of the coupling ring 39. I As will be readily apparent from the foregoing the coupling of the units 1 and 2 is effected by moving the cars carrying the same together so that the ring 39 will ride upon the lowerlip '7 into the crotch of the V formedby this surface with the arcuate surface 16 of the coupling pin and through contact with thelatter surface cause the coupling pin to shift vertically so that the ring may move into the chamber 9. The coupling pin will then, of course, drop back through the ring and the connection of the units will be completed.

In Figure 4 the same .draw bar structureis illustrated as is shown in Figure 1 and as will be here seen the rear spring 25 is secured in place by the washers 40 and nut 41 which is threaded onto the bar and may be adjusted as desired to control the tension of the springs. This nutis not illustrated in Figure 1.

In this view, however, the body 28 is show with a different type of coupling pin engaging element attached thereto in place of the ring 39 illustrated in Figures 1 and 2. In this form of coupling element there is provided in the place of the U-shaped member 36 the relatively long U-shaped member 42, the rear ends of which are enlarged and apertured as at 43 to receive the pin 30. The forward end of thismember 42 has a cross connecting link 44 which cooperates with the yoke'portion to provide the ring 45. r

In both the member 36 and the U-shaped member 42 the portions 35 and-43 have tangene tially formed faces 46 and 47 respectively which engage the surfaces 33 of the adjacent ears when the link units are disconnected from the head units, so as to maintain these portions of the link units in a substantially horizontal plane, thus making it unnecessary for the workman in charge of the coupling and uncoupling operations to hold the movable portion of the unit 2 in the proper position for entry into the mouth of the coupling unit 1.

Theaveragenumber of cars coupled by one man in an, eight hour working period ,is 1152 or one every 25 seconds, there being changed from 1 00 to cars per loading machine unit. Taking loading machines averaging 1250 cars may be handled'in approximately eight hours and twenty minutes, thus increasing the number over the present average by about 100.

Having-thus described the invention, what is claimed is:-- I 1 ,1. In a coupling, a coupling link comprising a bar member, a head pivotally attached to the bar member and having two parallel faces, a laterally extending ear integral with said head atthe;rear of each-of said side faces, each of said,ears having a downwardly facing forwardly and rearwardly inclined surface, a substantially U-shaped elementhavi'ng twoside leg portions and a cross connecting portion, said head being disposed between s'aid side leg portions, each of the leg portions of said U-shaped member having a contact faceadapted to engage the adjacent inclined surface of the adjacent ear, a pivot pin extending-' through said leg:- portions and said head, anduneans at the forward ends of said U-shaped member for receiving a coupling pin. In. a coupling designed to receive a coupling pin, a, coupling,link'comprising a bar member mounted for reciprocal movement, resilient means at opposite-sidesv of-the mounting for said reciprocal bar, for limiting the movement of the latter, :a body pivotally attached to the forward endof said bar, apair of ear members carried by said body and extending from opposite faces thereof, an element having two side members each having a free end, between which ends said body is received, a pivotal connection between the said last body and the side members of said element permittingthe latter to swing in a vertical plane, and means at the .forward end of said element for receiving said coupling pin, the said ends of; theelement being adapted to engage said-ears to maintain the element in a predetermined position.

HUGH A. MACONAGHIE. 

